A variety of fishing bait threaders exist that include a hollow, sharpened needle attached in some fashion to a handle. The end of the needle typically includes a groove or other means to accept the sharp end of a fishing hook that is attached to a fishing line. In use, a worm or other fishing bait is pierced with the needle and slid down the needle towards the handle. The fishing hook is then engaged with the end of the needle, and the bait is slid back off of the needle and onto the hook and fishing line and positioned as desired for use. Examples of such prior art devices are found in the following patents:
______________________________________ Pat. No. Inventor Issue Date ______________________________________ 4,073,083 Davis Feb. 14, 1978 4,706,403 Reynolds Nov. 17, 1987 4,915,631 Robinson et al. Apr. 10, 1990 4,674,220 Bearce, Jr. et al. Jun. 23, 1987 5,125,180 Dean Jun. 30, 1992 5,155,930 Monarez Oct. 20, 1992 ______________________________________
One drawback to such devices is that they are difficult to use in that one must maintain a tension on the fishing line to keep the hook engaged with the end of the needle while, at the same time, slide the bait off of the needle and onto the hook and line. Indeed, several of these prior art patents are founded upon an improved tension maintaining means that firmly holds the fishing line taunt while baiting the hook. However, such devices are still awkward to use and relatively complicated and costly.
A further drawback of such devices is that the hollow needles of such devices tend to collect dead organic matter as they are forced through the bait. Even after one use such devices pose a serious health threat if the sharp end of the device inadvertently cuts or scrapes a person's skin. Clearly, to some extent, any type of bait piercing device will become unsanitary. However, prior art devices are nearly impossible to clean since only one end of the needles of such devices is open. Over time, dead matter collects at the other, closed end with no easy means by which to remove it.
A further drawback with many such prior art devices is that the end of the needles are bent, making it very difficult to track such a needle through the bait in a straight path. Further, upon sliding the bait onto the hook, the bait is forced for a time to bend along the same arc as the hook. Some baits are not so flexible as to allow such bending without tearing of the bait, especially with a relatively small hook. Moreover, using such devices requires one to choose a hook before choosing a bait, since the hook must be fastened to the line before the line is baited. If a particular hook happens to be already fastened to a line, a suitable bait must be selected for that particular hook. In many situations, however, it is more advantageous to choose the bait first, depending upon the fishing conditions, and only then select the appropriate hook.
Clearly, then, there is a need for an effective bait threading tool that is easy to clean and therefore safer to use. Such a needed device would, to some extent, even be self-cleaning. Further, such a needed device would be extremely simple and inexpensive to manufacture, and would allow the line to be baited before selecting a hook. Such a needed device would track through the bait in a straight line, and therefore would be easier to use. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages.